April 20, 2026, 5:02 a.m. ET
Through a series of talks, the public will get a chance to examine a 2018 racial hate crime and its aftermath on Nantucket.
Conversations surrounding the community meeting, said Sage Morgan Hubbard, the Museum of African American History’s director of learning and engagement, will be rooted in truth, justice and healing.
“There was a racialized incident that happened and we believe it didn’t get the attention it deserved,” said Morgan Hubbard. “There are a lot of different perspectives and stories that haven’t been addressed.”
On March 11, 2018, a racial slur was spray painted on the door of the African Meeting House, a public building on the island that was constructed and occupied by African Americans in the 19th century. A phallic symbol was also spray-painted on the side of the building,
In a civil action, island resident Dylan Ponce was found responsible for the act in 2022. But Morgan Hubbard said that the community never had a chance to process the incident together.
Which is why the museum is holding “Whose Story Counts: African Descendants’ Heritage, Memory, and Belonging,” a series of conversations, which Morgan Hubbard said will acknowledge the lingering effects of the vandalism.
The next community meeting will be held from 11 to 1 p.m., May 9 at the African Meeting House. A Juneteenth block party celebration will conclude the meeting series on June 19.
Holding conversation can heal
Morgan Hubbard said the emotions around the 2018 incident were complicated for the community.
“We are working to repair that,” said Morgan Hubbard. “It wasn’t ever our responsibility alone but it’s important to talk about how the symptom of violence and slurs impact the community.”
There is a legacy of racism throughout the United States, she said, and the museum wants to uphold Black history and continue to educate area residents, and visitors.
History of the African American Meeting House
The meeting house was constructed in 1827, and is the only public building constructed and occupied by African Americans in the 19th century still standing on Nantucket, according to the museum website.
The Meeting House property was purchased in 1933 by Florence Higginbotham, a trained cook and domestic worker who had come to Nantucket as a teenager to work in Sconset, according to the website.
“The building has been continuously black owned – since before this country was founded,” said Morgan Hubbard. “Nantucket has also had a free Black community for a long time and we represent those stories and want to hold up those stories.”
The museum, which is part of the museum’s living history campus, presents cultural programs and interpretive exhibits on the history of African Americans on Nantucket and makes the African Meeting House available for ceremonies and special events.
The living history campus also includes the Seneca Boston-Florence Higginbotham House, and the Black Heritage Trail.
The museum purchased the Meeting House in 2001.
Morgan Hubbard encourages participants of all races to come to the meetings with an open mind.
“We want everyone to be ready to talk and to have a dialogue, be critical and thoughtful at the same time,” said Morgan Hubbard. “We are all in this together. It’s only collective healing and restorative practices that will make this better.”
Staff writer Rachael Devaney can be reached at rdevaney@capecodonline.com.
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